72211 ANTONOV OKA-38 AIST

The Antonov OKA-38 Aist was a Soviet prototype liaison, observation and reconnaissance aircraft from the Second World War. The machine was constructed in a high-wing configuration with a fixed undercarriage in a classic configuration. A prototype flight took place in 1940, but the machine never entered production. The length of this aircraft was 10.3 meters with a wingspan of 14.28 meters. The drive was provided by a single Renault MV-6 engine with a capacity of 270 HP. The Antonov OKA-38 Aist was essentially an unlicensed copy of the German Fi-156 Storch aircraft. The Soviet machine kept the same aerodynamic system, a fixed landing gear and a highly glazed pilot's cabin. However, the power unit was changed, replacing the Argus engine with a Renault engine. It was assumed that two main variants of the OKA-38 would be built: the observation-liaison plane and the medical evacuation plane. Interestingly, despite the use of the new engine, the OKA-38 had worse performance than the Fi-156, but still had the possibility of a shortened take-off and landing (STOL). A decision was made to start serial production of this machine, but due to the German aggression in June 1941, these plans were abandoned. Thus, the OKA-38 Aist never got past the prototype stage.